The present application relates to atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM may be used to measure and characterize surface features of semiconductor devices, magnetic recording devices, and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, among others.
AFM systems can use tube scanners to scan surfaces. Tube scanners can include electrodes composed of piezoelectric materials, which cause linearity and hysteresis errors. The linearity and hysteresis errors can vary when applying different voltages to the piezoelectric materials, thereby causing inaccuracies in the measurement and characterization of surface features.